Piper Front Entry Door

Piper Front Entry Door

Fitting and Adjusting Instructions

Note: The door hinge consists of two forked, stamped, steel hinge brackets that are riveted to the door. On the fuselage are two eyebolts: one for the upper door bracket and one for the lower door bracket. These slide over the eyebolts and are secured with a clevis pin and cotter pin. By design, the hinge brackets on the door are wider than the eyebolts and shimmed with AN960 flat washers (either thick or thin) to allow the door to be adjusted vertically and to aid in sealing.

1. Remove the door seal and discard.

Caution: The door seal must be removed before adjusting the door.

2. Determine if the door needs replacement eyebolts:

Caution: The eyebolts and clevis pins on the Piper door hinge system wear to the point the doors will not close or seal properly. These parts must be checked for wear before proceeding.

a. Open the door slightly past the fuselage.

b. Lift up on the door at the latch and check for vertical movement.

Caution: Vertical movement (greater than 0.003 inches) is an indication of excessive wear on the eyebolts and the need for replacement of both the eyebolts and the door latch clevis pins (Aircraft Door Seals Part Numbers EYE-1 and LCP) before adjusting the door.

3. Determine if the door needs a replacement clevis pin:

a. Check that the door closes flush with the side of the fuselage (failure to close flush is an indication of a bent clevis pin and the need for replacement).

4. Remove the door

a. Remove the screw, step bushing, and washer attaching the door stop to the door sill plate.

b. Remove the cotter pins, clevis pins and washers from door hinges.

c. Set door aside on a blanket or protective covering.

5. Re-install the door

Caution: The door must be adjusted without a door seal installed.

a. Place the door into position over the eyebolts and install the washers and clevis pins in the door hinges.

Note: Do not reconnect the door stop to the door sill on the fuselage at this time.

b. Close door and secure upper latch.

c. With the door closed and latched, verify the front edge of the door is flush with the fuselage opening and does not close inside the fuselage opening.

Note: Many times the door will not be flush, but instead will close inside the fuselage opening anywhere from 1/8 inch to 3/16 inches. The door must be flush

(not more than 1/16 inches) with the fuselage before proceeding. If the door does not fit flush, remove the door and install spacer washers under each eyebolt (normally just one or two under each eyebolt) to move the upper or lower portion of the door.

1. If the door closes inside the fuselage opening, proceed to step 5.c.2, otherwise proceed to step 5.d.

2. Remove the door.

3. Just inside the cabin in front of the door opening, locate the 5/16-24 nut (behind of the interior trim) for the upper and lower eyebolt. Slide a ½ inch box wrench behind the upholstery placing it over the nut. Using a "Crescent" wrench on the eyebolt, unscrew the eyebolt CCW and remove the eyebolt.

4. Install one or more washers (as required) on the eyebolt(s) and reinstall the eyebolt.

Caution: Do not overtighten the eyebolt.

Note: Use AN960-516 (thick) and AN960-516L (thin).

Note: Have a helper place the washers on the eyebolts so you do not have to move the wrench and nut.

5. Reinstall the door and verify the front edge of the door fits flush with the fuselage.

6. If the door does not fit flush, repeat steps 5.c.2 through 5.c.5 until it fits flush.

d. With the door closed and latched, verify the front edge of the door is flush with the fuselage opening and does not overlap the fuselage opening.

Note: Many times the door will not be flush, but instead will contact the fuselage opening. It must be flush (not more than 1/16 inches) with the fuselage before proceeding.

1. If the door does not fit flush, but contacts the fuselage opening, file the edge of the door until it has the proper clearance.

6. Adjust the door closure:

Caution: The door must be adjusted without a door seal installed.

a. If the forward top edge of the door does not fit flush with the top edge of the fuselage, adjust the curve of the door shape.

Note: It is common for the forward top edge of the door not to fit flush with the top edge of the fuselage. This condition was due to the variables in the assembly process of the door. The Piper factory procedure to adjust the fit of this portion of the door is to slightly bend the door upper edge.

Caution: Do not attempt this procedure with the door installed. Applying this procedure with the door installed will damage the door.

1. Lay the door flat on the ground on a blanket.

2. With one knee just below the window and with both hands holding the upper portion of the door, bend slightly until the mounted door fits flush.

b. If the door does not fit flush around the entire fuselage opening, adjust the main latch.

Note: The door should have 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch clearance around the entire edge of the door and fuselage.

1. Loosen the two flat head screws on the striker plate.

2. Move the striker plate inboard, as required, to allow the door to close flush with the side of the fuselage.

3. Retighten the two flat head screws on the striker plate.

4. If the door does not fit flush, repeat steps 6.a.1 through 6.a.3 until it fits flush.

Note: The latch that engages the striker is installed with a 1/8" clevis pin. If the door is still not flush with the side, the latch clevis pin is bent and should be replaced (Aircraft Door Seals Part Number LCP).

c. If the door does not fit flush vertically in the fuselage opening, insert the necessary washer combinations between the cabin door hinge(s), clevis pins and the fuselage eyebolts.

Note: Both of the ears on the hinge brackets should be straight. If the hinge brackets on the door are bent, the shimming washers will not install; straighten the brackets using pliers.

d. Verify that the fittings riveted to the door have not been bent. The fittings forming the portion that fits over the eyebolts should be straight.

7. Adjust the top latch (a stainless steel fulcrum hook that engages a loop receptacle in the top of the fuselage):

Note: If the door has a gap of more than 1/16" at the top with door closed and latch, the upper latch needs to be adjusted.

a. With the door open, remove the two screws that secure the stainless receptacle to the upper fuselage frame (the hook receiver is a loop welded onto a 10-32 screw).

b. Remove the plate.

c. Turn the loop clockwise (or counterclockwise as necessary) one turn at a time until obtaining the proper clearance (1/16").

Note: A small amount of WD-40 on the threads will make the loop easier to rotate.

Note: The upper hook should be centered in the upper opening. The upper latch hook can become bent and strike the upper portion of the door opening. To straighten the upper hook, use "Vise Grip" pliers to clamp the hook at the point where there is a slight bend in the hook and slightly bend the hook until it is centered in the opening.

Caution: When starightening the upper latch hook, support the hook with your thumb in the area where you are bending. This will prevent the latch from being damaged.

d. Replace the latch plate and secure with the two attachment screws.

e. Verify the fit of the door.

8. Insert the cotter key(s) in the clevis pins and bend the cotter key ends around the clevis pins. Trim off the excess cotter key length as required.

9. Lubricate the clevis pins and the eyebolts with a film of grease (Aircraft Door Seals Part Number SL-101).

10. Install the door seal according to the product instructions.

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